1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to gutter cleaning devices and the like, and especially devices adapted to clean high or difficult to reach gutters where the backpressure generated by water emitted from the device makes management of a cleaning wand difficult.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Gutters provide an effective means of diverting water from a rooftop to downspouts. However, debris builds up in gutters over time. For effective use, the gutters must be cleaned. While gutters can be cleaned by hand, this approach usually requires ladders and can be dangerous and time consuming. If a ladder is not available one often climbs onto the roof to clean the gutter, increasing the likelihood of a fall. Various devices have been developed to make gutter cleaning easier.
Wand type cleaning devices generally allow a person to stand on the ground and clean a gutter. Wand type devices generally consist of an elongated conduit having one end attached to a water hose or other water source. The other end typically has a water outlet and may have other fixed cleaning implements. This outlet end is generally reversely bent so that water emitted from the outlet is directed down into the gutter. The attached cleaning implements are used to agitate and dislodge clumped debris and assist breaking it into smaller pieces. The flow of water from the device directs the broken debris either out of the gutter or towards the downspout. Typical wand devices have one water outlet or nozzle adapted to spray a water jet into the gutter to dislodge and break-up debris while the flow of water in the gutter carries the debris away. Some devices include two nozzles or outlets that may be used alternately, but not simultaneously.
While wand-type devices provide a more efficient means of cleaning gutters, they do exhibit some problems. Water emitted from the wand can have significant force. For lower rooflines and gutters, this may not be a problem since a person operates the devices at a great enough angle from vertical that the person is able to hold the device in place. However, if the water pressure is great, or if the angle from vertical is small, the backpressure may be too great to hold the wand in place during use. This is especially true when cleaning gutters on taller buildings where pressure washers or pumps are used to increase water pressure feeding into the device.
To ensure the device remains in position, various implements have been developed and adapted into the wand-type devices. These aids include cleaning tools adapted to hook over the outer-edge of the gutter, guides designed to roll along the gutter edge, or devices designed to roll inside the gutter. However, these devices have their own limitations in feasibility, usefulness with a variety of gutter systems, and ease of use depending on gutter height and water pressure. Not all gutters may be constructed the same and may not be able to take advantage of the guides in these devices. Also, high-pressure systems still tend to be difficult to manage since the water jet emitted from the device forces the device away from the gutter. This negative effect is magnified when a person attempts to use a device from a personnel lift or personnel basket.